I'm Going

Here are some events that I thought y'all would want to know about this month. Unless calamity strikes, I'll be there, too. (As a civilian, not signing books.)



LOS CAMPEONES DE LA LUCHA LIBRE (The Champions of Mexican Wrestling)
DATE: Thursday, Feb 5, 2009
TIME: 7:30 P.M.
WHERE: The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
FYI: Los Campeones at MySpace
Masked mayhem ensues when a team of wrestling heroes is caught in the middle of a struggle between a gang of barbarians right out of Mad Max and a legion of monsters inspired by the golden age of Mexican horror films. A Spanish-language version of this film just ran in theaters throughout Mexico, but we're proud to present the first ever public screening of an English-language print on 35mm.

PEN ON FIRE: A SPEAKING SERIES WITH T. JEFFERSON PARKER
DATE: Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009
TIME: 7 P.M.
WHERE: UCI Student Center
FYI: Pen On Fire
Barbara DeMarco Barrett will host a launch party for T. Jefferson Parker's new book, The Renegades. She'll discuss Jeff¹s new book, he'll read, take questions, and sign books. There will also be refreshments. This launch party also heralds "Pen on Fire: A Speaking Series," which intends to bring literary events to Orange County on a monthly basis.

JULIETA VENEGAS
DATE: Thursday, Feb 19, 2009
TIME: 7:30 P.M.
WHERE: USC Bovard Auditorium
FYI: USC Arts
Experience an intimate evening of conversation and music with Julieta Venegas.

Julieta Venegas is a Mexican singer, instrumentalist and songwriter who performs an eclectic blend of Spanish-language rock and pop. She started playing music at the age of eight, when her parents first had her take piano lessons. Music grew to be her passion, eventually leading her to become a vocal artist and songwriter. Before embarking on her solo career, Venegas collaborated with bands in Tijuana and Mexico City. Her first album, Aqui, emerged in 1998 as a collaboration with Gustavo Santaolalla.

Between the Pages with Berta Platas

I've interviewed quite a few actors and writers in my day; some famous, some you'd see on the screen and wonder where you'd seen him or her before. Before some interviews I get a little nervous, like the one I did with Oscar Nunez of The Office and this Q&A with my Friday Night Chicas and Names I Call My Sister pen pal, Berta Platas. When you really respect someone, you don't want to look stupid by asking stupid questions.

But Berta gives good interview and even better story. Her latest release, Lucky Chica is about values, how Rosie values herself, her family and her heart. It made me happy for my friend and it made me pretty damn proud to be included in the same company with her.

Please welcome Berta Platas!

Chica Lit: What inspired the idea for Lucky Chica and how long did it go from manuscript to published novel?

Berta: I play the lottery with my dad and we have fun scheming what we'll do with all the loot if we win. So many people get excited about the lottery that I thought it would make a fun novel. I started plotting it while I was writing Cinderella Lopez, and then devoted myself to it after turning that book in. A major rewrite, at my editor's suggestion, set it back a bit, but I figured out a way to make her ideas work, and they've certainly made it a better book.

Chica Lit: The first act in Lucky Chica shows Rosie's dismal and hardscrabble existence. It was painful reading it because it brought memories of my college years. Did Rosie pop out of your head complete, or did it take time for her to develop into a full-fledged character?

Berta: I knew Rosie from the first. The Buford Highway area in Chamblee and Doraville, on the outskirts of Atlanta, have a very dense concentration of immigrants. It's the place where folks start, where everyone speaks your language. Here, you either acclimate, then move up, or you start a business and are happy surrounded by folks just like you, or you feel stuck forever. I wanted Rosie to feel stuck, but optimistic. It's hard to be optimistic forever. and the story starts when she's at the end of her good attitude.

Chica Lit: How much research went into your book?

Berta: A lot! I studied past winners of huge lottery prizes, not just the ones you hear about who go wild and lose everything, but the ones who make good choices and live happily ever after. I found out about the types of people who prey on lottery winners, what the best advice is if you win a big prize like this, and what resources can offer dependable advice. Did you know that there's a "Sudden Wealth Institute"? It's a group of financial planners that help those who come into big money, whether it's a lottery win, an inheritance, or an insurance settlement. They help you find the best tax advantages and make wise choices with money management. For a fee, of course!

Chica Lit: I know that you're a marketing exec by day and novelist by, well, when you make the time to write. But do you keep a tape recorder or notebook on hand when you're away from your book ... ahem, do you sneak writing in at the office?

Berta: I have a digital recorder that my husband gave me. It's so cute! It's so complicated! I never could figure the little darling out. So I take notes. I carry my AlphaSmart with me and write whenever I can, aided by a chapter outline that lets me know exactly what's coming up next in my book. As for sneaking writing at the office - never! My office mates know I'm an author, and I want to keep the two realms totally separate. At lunchtime I write on my Alphie, or longhand. At night, when my brain is fried, I can just transcribe what I wrote when I was fresher. Close to deadlines, I write at night, too, fried and all.

Chica Lit: Your next book is a complete departure from "chica lit." What can you tell us?

Berta: I also write a humorous young adult urban fantasy series with my friend and longtime critique partner, Michelle Roper. The first trilogy is very popular and a critical success, and we recently sold a second trilogy, making it an official series! It's set in Renaissance Faires, and follows Keelie Heartwood, a California teen who is uprooted and sent to live with her absentee dad when her mom dies in an accident. She soon discovers that her father is not human, and that she too has magical abilities. Kids as young as nine have read it, and we have a lot of adult fans, too.

I just got an email from a twelve year old who read Lucky Chica and reviewed it on Flamingnet.com, a review site for kids. I would never have thought of this book as young adult material, and it made me think hard about how books are marketed to children. I can see teens enjoying this book, it just never occurred to me to market to them. Twelve seemed a little young, though.

[Editorial note: Dude, tell me about it! A 13 year-old read Hot Tamara after reading the Red Hot Read excerpt in Cosmo magazine.]

Chica Lit: And finally, have you ever won the lottery and do you think you'd make the same mistakes that Rosie did?

Berta: I've never won more than $57 dollars at a time on the lottery, but it's fun to play, as long as you don't go crazy. I certainly wouldn't make Rosie's mistakes. My dad and I have a PLAN!

Funny thing is that while I was writing Rosie's story, my family was going through some painful financial times, and I found that Rosie was making some really smart choices, money-wise. I had to rip all of that up! What was I thinking? It would have been a very different book. Frankly, it would have been a snore!

Check out Lucky Chica (hint: it makes a great Valentine's Day girlfriend gift!)

Can't Get Enough of Lizz Wright

I'm on deadline and falling behind AND I'm starting a new story that will be a mystery (let the killing begin!). So if I blog again this week, it will either be the result of a miracle, or I'll be throwing myself on the sword of procrastination.

BUT first I have to share this with you. Lizz Wright is magical, haunting, sensuous, sublime ... I'm running out of adjectives here so you'll have to see for yourself.

Between the Pages with Misa Ramirez

The next time you look up the word persistence, Misa Ramirez's name should be listed in the definition. If you're complaining about having to do a third draft, pay attention to what happens when you're willing to do six years worth of rewriting.

Please welcome, Misa Ramirez and her tough-talking and tough-walking heroine, Lola!

Chica Lit: What inspired the idea for Living La Vida Lola and how long did it go from manuscript to published novel?

Misa: It has taken six years, three agents, and about 1,000 revisions to bring the book to publication, but it made it, and Lola’s here to stay!

I started writing it right after I had my fifth (and last) baby. We had just moved to the Sacramento area, I wasn’t teaching at the time, my husband was in a wheelchair from an Achilles Tendon injury, and I HAD to get out of the house! I started going to a local coffee shop with a friend and we’d do little writing prompts. During one of them, Lola came to me as a character. The more prompts we did, the more Lola and her family and background developed.

She came to me as a Latina, I think, because I wanted to write about someone like my own children. Someone who straddled the lines of being American, but who embodied and embraced her family’s culture at the same time. I want her to find her balance, her identity, and her true self over the course of the series. No small order for anyone!

And then there’s the romance element. Love makes it all worthwhile and I wanted Lola to find love. Or at least the hope of love. =)

Chica Lit: Did Lola pop out of your head complete, or did it take time for her to develop into a full-fledged character?

Misa: I knew immediately that Lola would be a PI since I wanted the book to be a mystery. And I knew that I wanted her family to be a big and important part of her life. I wanted to delve into the interpersonal relationships that might exist in a traditional Mexican family (like my husband’s) if one of the daughters wanted to be a private investigator and buck the expectations her parents had for her.

It took a long time for Lola to fully develop, but now that she has, I love her! She’s got her principles and morals and her goals. She’s a black belt in kung fun, loves yoga, and won’t let anything get in her way. But she’s got weaknesses, too. She’s soft and feminine, but tough. She describes herself as Xena, Warrior Princess, with an occasional Cinderella moment thrown in.

Chica Lit: How much research went into your book?

Misa: About 18 years worth!!!! All the time I’ve been married to my husband--observing, being part of, loving, and absorbing his culture. My biggest goal in writing Lola was to make her an authentic person. I never want to misrepresent myself as a Latina, and I always want to be true to the beauty of the culture and all that means based on my experiences as the wife of a Mexican American man. So, lots of research, but just from living!

The mystery details of the book did require researching the process of becoming a PI, what the rules are, details about tattoos, particularly self-done tattoos, visiting the state Capitol and getting a private tour by my brother-in-law who works under the Treasurer. Things like that. All of it has been pretty fun.

Chica Lit: Do you like being a writer? What do you NOT like about being a writer?

Misa: I love being a writer, especially now that I’m not teaching anymore. I have dedicated time to write and it doesn’t encroach on time with my kids. At least not as much! I love that my kids, husband, and parents are so proud of me. I love that I’ve modeled the hard work and determination to pursue a dream, and I’ve reached my goal. I think that’s invaluable.

Things I don’t like about being a writer? Hmm. Probably the nervousness that I’m feeling over doing book signings! Writing is so solitary, and you live in your imagination so much, that to go out and speak about your books is daunting!

Chica Lit: When do we get the next Lola adventure?

Misa: The next book, tentatively titled Dead Girl Walking will be out a year from now. After that will be Bare Naked Ladies, the third book in the series. In it, Lola’s case takes her to a nudist resort. Yikes! I’ll tell you about the research for that one another time!


Get your copy of Misa Ramirez's book at your favorite independent, or at my store!